Casemiro Biography

Carlos Enrique Casemiro is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Real Madrid, primarily as a defensive midfielder.

He is a multiple Champions League winner with Real and is hailed for his tough tackling and occasional brilliant long shots.

He started his career at hometown club Sao Paulo before rising to prominence during his loan term at FC Porto.

Background

Casemiro was born on 23 February 1992 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His upbringing was filled with hardships and struggles after his father abandoned the family.

It was tough meeting the ends before Casemiro enrolled into the youth academy of Sao Paulo. He shined for the juniors to get a senior team debut in 2010 at the age of 18.

Debut

Casemiro played in the junior levels for Brazil Under 17s and Under 20s. His senior debut was in a friendly against Argentina in 2011. He was brought on the field for the final stages of the goalless draw.

Rise to Glory

Casemiro proved to be a highly competent and committed member for the Sao Paulo at the youth levels and the senior team alike. European scouts were watchful of his performances and his 2012 Copa Sudamericana triumph earned him a loan to Real Madrid.

He rarely played for the senior team early on but excelled in the youth outfit. A permanent deal was signed in 2013 and he got to taste European success that season as Real lifted ‘La Decima’ of the Champions League.

Porto won the signature of the talented youngster for a loan deal. He was on red hot form throughout the season as he finished with 4 goals in 40 matches. It included a fantastic goal against FC Basel in the Champions League knockout.

After the termination of the loan term, Casemiro found it hard to feature in the starting line-up when Rafael Benitez was at helm. Midway through the season Benitez was sacked. New coach Zinedine Zidane made Casemiro integral to the Real midfield.

He was responsible for defusing potential attacks from opposition and also create attacks for Madrid. He played a crucial role in the successive Champions League glory for Real in 2016 and 2017.

He also has a knack of scoring long range screamers. Particularly memorable ones include the one against Napoli in the 2017 Champions League knockouts and on the finals against Juventus.

Low Points

A big disappointment for Casemiro has been that he has not been able to emulate his good performances in club football for the national team.

Casemiro has often been targeted for fading away for a few matches after a run of brilliant performances.

However, he has disappointed more often than not in the 2017-18 season. He hasn’t been particularly singled out in a poor season for Madrid. But he has received a good share of criticism.

Records

Casemiro has represented Real Madrid for over 130 matches and scored 11 goals. He has adorned the national colors of the Selecao20 times but he is yet to score.